georgia football uga Kirby Smart Mike Griffith column

ATHENS — Georgia coach Kirby Smart has been busy minding his own business, but one shouldn’t consider his relatively low profile these days for inactivity.

While seemingly everyone in the college football world was weighing in on the war of words that erupted between Nick Saban and Jimbo Fisher, Smart was content for his past comments on NIL issues to stand pat.

Smart is applying one of his favorite acronyms: W-I-N -- What’s Important now?

Smart recognizes there’s no good reason to engage in controversy or talk louder to be heard.

It’s pretty clear he’s of a similar mindset as Saban, with Georgia facing the same sort of future challenges the Texas A&M (and Texas and Oklahoma) oil money brings to the NIL game.

Smart will be in Destin, Fla., at the end of the month and update his thoughts on NIL and other rules changes

For those who haven’t been paying attention, Smart has shared NIL positions in the past. He favors NIL, but Smart has voiced the following thoughts and concerns:

- “I just want to make sure that the game stays at a point where we can control it.”

- “I would just like it where a decision isn’t based on where I’m going to the highest bidder.”

— “Development has taken a step back … facilities, academics, what we can do for you in terms of life after football, those things have taken a back burner to NIL for a lot of people.”

— “You can’t guarantee that (NIL earnings number). Number two, to each kid it may apply differently. Some guys are at developmental positions, and they are going to have to work very hard (to get NIL money).

— “You have to be selective of going really far away from home, or how big of a portal risk is this kid, is NIL so important to him that he is not going to be as effective as a player?”

Smart also has the biggest rebuilding project any championship team has ever faced on his hands, having lost a record-15 players to the NFL Draft along with four former starters and seven players from UGA’s two-deep to the transfer portal.

Smart also has one eye on making sure UGA football remains competitive in the facilities arms race after finally catching up with the opening of a new $80 million football building.

Auburn and Florida will soon be opening new state-of-the-art football buildings, too.

Smart made it clear he wants Sanford Stadium to remain among the top college football venues, as well.

“We will not be complacent, we will not sit idly and let others pass us by,” Smart said during the dedication ceremony for the $80 million football building last week. “It’s been a catch-up game for us for quite a long time. We feel like we have caught up, but now we have to maintain and continue to grow.”

To that point, UGA athletic director Josh Brooks told the school’s finance and development committee last week that the next renovation to Sanford Stadium will cost an estimated $68.5 million.

Changes to the Southside concourse are coming, as it’s expected to be widened and feature more concession areas, shops and restrooms. UGA will also relocate its press box so it can feature more premium seats capable of generating added revenue.

The UGA athletics board is expected to approve the funding at the spring meetings next week.

Georgia is also expected to announce Smart’s new contract soon, along with a decision on whether to extend a contract to continue playing its home games with Florida in Jacksonville, Fla.

GRIFFITH: UGA should pay Kirby Smart $10 million a year and feel good about it

The Jacksonville contract runs through 2023 and brings an estimated $35 million to that city in economic impact.